Contracts Specialist

Contracts Specialist (includes Procurement)
City/State: Colorado Springs, CO (Hybrid)
Type and Schedule: Full-Time (Salary/Exempt) or Part-Time (Hourly/Exempt)
Annualized Salary Range: $100,125 - $146,251 (depending on experience)
About Us: Caliola is a woman-owned small business that is improving and protecting our Nation's way of life through secure collaboration and resilient communications. Our engineers, subject matter experts, and veterans are developing and delivering trusted solutions for mission-critical communications. We seek teammates who share our core values:
I3 for C3 - Insight, Innovation, and Integrity for Command, Control, and Communications
We are headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, which is consistently ranked as one of the Nation's top ten places to live by US News & World Report. Caliola has been recognized by Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) as a key contributor to the growth of the Colorado Springs defense industry. We offer a flexible, collaborative, and open culture that is unusual in the defense industry. We offer generous benefits, including subsidized health insurance and 401(k) matching, and a scalable, competitive pay structure.
Position Description: The Contracts and Procurement Specialist will handle complex contracts within the organization. You will facilitate the full contracts management lifecycle, from proposal to closeout, supporting rapid and sustainable growth. Your experience with government contracting complexities across a multi-agency customer portfolio will ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and company policies. This position will also facilitate the purchases of materials, equipment, products, parts, services, and supplies necessary for on-going operations.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Contracts

• Manage complex contracts with the US Government, Prime Contractors, Subcontractors, GSA Schedule, OASIS, OTAs, IDIQs, and Commercial customers.
• Conducts proposal preparation, contract negotiation, contract administration, and customer contact activities to provide for proper contract acquisition and fulfillment in accordance with Company policies, legal requirements, and customer specifications.
• Prepare contract summaries, maintain records, and report to management on status, potential issues, risks, and recommended courses of action throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Facilitate review and tracking of government and commercial contracts, proposals, and non-disclosure and teaming agreements for Organization Conflicts of Interest (OCI) and Export Control compliance.
• Perform risk management, Intellectual Property protection, and compliance reviews, raising issues and concerns so they can be appropriately evaluated, investigated, resolved, and reported.
• Collaborate and establish the key relationships, negotiation strategies, and financial strategies required to ensure a positive, productive, and profitable contracting cycle.
• Lead negotiation and administration of contracts with customer (US Government and commercial) including understanding of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DFARS) and similar laws, analyzing clauses for applicability and risk, serving as company's primary point of contact, coordinating with technical team, protecting intellectual property and supporting proposal drafting.

• Prepares bids; processes specifications, progress, and other reports; advises management of contractual rights and obligations; compiles and analyzes data; and maintains historical information.
• Reviews complex solicitations and prepares specialized and/or non-routine response for proposals, bids, and contract modifications.

• Interface with external counsel and specialists as appropriate to support/resolve compliance related issues for ethics, intellectual property, cost principles, human resources / employment law, records retention, and purchasing, etc.
• Performs other duties as appropriate or necessary for performance of the job.

Procurement

• Lead negotiation and administration of vendors, consultants, partners, and suppliers including drafting solicitations, agreements, purchase orders, creating flow downs, serving as company's primary point of contact, coordinating with technical team and reviewing proposals.
• Perform market research and cost and price analysis.
• Examine estimates of material, equipment services, production costs, performance requirements, and delivery schedules to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Oversees purchases of materials, equipment, products, parts, services, and supplies necessary for on-going operations.
• Identifies raw material, component, and related requirements from engineering and production specifications and schedules.
• In front-end procurement mode, analyzes data and determines factors that affect prices and determines lowest cost consistent with quality, reliability, and ability to meet required schedules.
• Reviews proposals, negotiates prices, selects, or recommends suppliers, analyzes trends, follows up on orders placed, approves payment, and maintains necessary records of material movement throughout manufacturing and inventory cycle(s).
• Maintains detailed records of goods and services ordered and received.
• Reviews, evaluates, and approves specifications for issuing and awarding bids.

Other Duties

• Actively engage with the management team to prioritize resources, meet objectives, and identify, discuss, and solve issues.
• Assist in Intellectual Property (IP) maintenance and protection, to include:
  • Patents
    • Lead and coordinate efforts with external IP counsel and internal priorities/technical team to submit and protect patentable inventions
    • Draft required disclosures and reports to U.S. Government as required by contract terms
  • Trademarks (TM)
    • Lead and coordinate efforts with external IP counsel and internal team to submit and protect Trademarks for the business

What We Require:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field and a minimum of 5 years' experience in industry contracting with DoD/FAR/DFARS expertise.
• Strong analytical, communication and reporting skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating key details, including presentations to senior management, board or other outside partners.
• Ability and desire to translate complex legal/contracting concepts to individuals at all levels.
• Ability to develop creative solutions to unusual and complex contracting issues in a fast-paced environment.
• Must have demonstrated high proficiency in Microsoft Office applications particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Visio, and other applications.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance issued by the US Government. Security clearances may only be granted to US citizens.

What We Value:

• Master's degree, MBA, and/or JD degree. NCMA certification(s) - e.g., CPCM, CFCM, CCCM, CCMA.
• Experience working as a Contract Officer or Contract Specialist with the US Government.
• Financial, Legal or Intellectual Property maintenance and protection background.
• Unanet experience.
• General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule administration.
• Contract Management System (CMS) experience.

Expression of Interest: By applying for this job, you are expressing interest in this position and could be considered for other career opportunities at Caliola. Should a match be identified between your skillset and Caliola's requirements for this or a future opening, you may be contacted.
At Caliola, we believe that true innovation can only occur when teammates bring their authentic selves to collaborate in a supportive and encouraging environment. We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age, or any other federally protected class.
Caliola participates in E-Verify, an internet-based system used to confirm the employment eligibility of all new hires. Upon hire, all employees are required to complete Form I-9 to verify their identity and employment eligibility to work in the United States.
**ATTENTION RECRUITERS**
Please do not contact Caliola on recruiting services related to the posted position.
All candidates will be required to pass a basic background screening.